"The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power."
-Alexander Hamilton

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

My thoughts on the Paris Hilton/Mother Teresa thing, after getting over my shock

I was thinking, why am I shocked? Am I worried that if they cast Paris Hilton in a movie as mother Teresa that her works would be cast into doubt? No, her works are the works of God done by the hands of His loving creation. They are, the works of Christ. Can they be cast into a bad light by Paris Hilton? No, not in the least.

So what shocked me. What worried me? It was protecting her image. Her image. Well, we've learned alot about protecting images in the last few months. The image of mother Teresa is the image of one who does what God wills. Who loves all they come into contact with. It is the image of Christ. So, if I defend an image...what Image should I defend? The image of God? Indeed...but what is the image of God?

We are. We are made in the image of God. We are called to be a more perfect image by following His will and the love of the teaching and example of Christ. The highest defense of an image is to defend the dignity and lives of our fellow human beings as images of God.

I had to laugh. God does things in ways I never expect.

If I say that anyone is not worthy to play mother Teresa in a movie, how are they worthy to imitate her works: The works of Christ in the world. Christ has deemed us all worthy of these works. More than worthy...we are called to them. So in defense of an image (or rather the perception of a person) you can undermine the fundamental value of them as an image of God.

So I ask all Catholics (and others who were shocked by the proposal of Paris Hilton as mother Teresa) who would want to write someone, or raise their voices in protest of such a movie....to stop for a second.

Do a web search on Coptic persecution, Christians in the Middle East, homes for those who are homeless, care for those who suffer or any such issue.

Then tell me that Paris Hilton as mother Teresa is nearly as important as what you read there.

If we wish to defend an image. Defend your fellow human beings as created in the image of God. Defend the immeasurable dignity of human life that suffers daily.

God is giving us a chance to put into practice a lesson very relevant to today.

If you want to write a letter, write to Congress about the suffering of our brothers and sisters all over the world who are persecuted for being Christian. Write to get funding for the homeless and the hungry. Be, as mother Teresa said:

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. We are all pencils in the hand of God.

Let what your actions write be a defense of your brothers and sisters. Defend the image of God in each other.